Many restaurants get names from what’s around them. Or perhaps what inspires the owners. In some cases, there’s even a theme that’s carried from the front of the entrance, all the way to your main entree.

But at Red Ball Jet Cafe, the inspiration comes from something you wouldn’t normally think of — shoes. Red Ball Jets were made from 1951 to 1971. The shoes’ biggest competition was with Converse and Keds, and were most popular with teenagers.

Today, though, Red Ball Jets can only be found in one of two places. One, on eBay for a hefty price tag. Or you can wander on down to the Red Ball Jet Cafe, a Gilmore Collection restaurant that specializes in crepes and coffee for breakfast, and wood-fired pizzas for lunch and dinner.

The building takes advantage of its original architecture, which much of it still in tact. In a few words, it’s “classically modern.” And on the back wall, you can see a few glass boxes. On the bottom, a bunch of tiny red balls. Right above that? The Jets.

As I sat down, enjoying the environment that surrounded my dining partner and I, I couldn’t help but check out the menus. They were folded in four, much like a large brochure. Though somewhat inventive, they were a little difficult to really open up and read, especially at the high-top table we sat at.

Once it got down to ordering, though, we were golden. We took advantage of their summer all-day Monday Happy Hour (normally it’s just from 2-6 p.m. everyday), ordering both Pepsis with rum and whiskey, respectively. The damage? Only $1.99 for each.

Sticking with the Happy Hour trend, we went with two different personal pizzas, each also only $1.99. Sam stuck with the tried and true pepperoni, while I opted for barbecue chicken. Both were some of the best thin crust, wood-fired pizzas I’ve had, reminding me of a restaurant up north. This pizza brought me right back to the glory of that.

The majority of Red Ball Jet’s lunch and dinner options are devoted to pizza. Though there were more than plenty of options for different types of pizza, I wasn’t impressed with the other options on the menu. They’ve got a few sandwiches, but most are just for lunch. To even it out a little bit, they do offer some basic pasta dishes and salads as well.

Though the pizzas were beyond great, the service could’ve used an energy boost. We were both surprised at the time between ordering and receiving our food, especially because the inside was anything but busy at the time (there’s an outdoor patio too, but that had a small crowd at best). Our waitress was very friendly and seemed to know everything pretty well, and gave us a few recommendations here and there. Despite the wait, the service was still very good.

By the end of our meal, the bill was only about eight bucks. So, what else could we do but opt for desert? For a small cafe, I was surprised at the amount of desert choices. Though they were out of two of them, we satisfied ourselves by indulging two ice cream treats.

I’d like to go back and try the Red Ball out for breakfast though. Instead of pizzas, breakfast is dominated by several different types of crepes, as well as a number of baked goods and coffee drinks. And it doesn’t stop there — they also have about 20 different kinds of smoothies.

Overall, Red Ball Jet provided a great atmosphere with some phenomenal pizza at great prices. It’s a perfect place for a cheap, casual date — it’s nice enough to take someone out and get to meet them, but not too expensive where you’ll be breaking your wallet.

Red Ball Jet Cafe  ( Rating: out of 5 )

Where: 1431 Plainfield Ave NW
Hours: Daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Ambiance: Classically modern
How much will it cost you: Entrees cost between $6 and $12, though Red Ball Jet offers heavy discounts during Happy Hour.
Credit cards: All major
Alcohol: Yes
Reservations: No
Contact: (616) 719-5500
Online: http://www.thegilmorecollection.com/redballjetcafe.html